Auxiliary loop and span harness for a string trimmer or the like

ABSTRACT

An auxiliary harness supported by right or left shoulder to suspend the string trimmer at or near a fixed point somewhat central to the torso having a carrying case, a string trimmer quick release button, an on-off lock to release or fix a retractable cable from a spring loaded spool, the cable fitted to the string trimmer and the operator by harness clips, the cable having to provide a longitudinal span to dampen lateral kickback and longitudinal flutter and to relax one or more trigger fingers, the operator having to adjust the cable and the boom slightly without having to remove the harness, the cable made of firm or elastic material having to dampen an operator&#39;s foot movement and the string trimmer vibration with a two-way longitudinal span embodiment or maneuvers the string trimmer with a single loop embodiment, and the harness providing steps to relieve operator fatigue.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

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STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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DESCRIPTION OF ATTACHED APPENDIX

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to the field of grounds maintenance andmore specifically to an auxiliary loop and span harness for a stringtrimmer or the like. The purpose of a lawn care shoulder harness hasmainly been to provide safety and support for a handheld yard toolduring heavy-duty or long term grounds maintenance work. Many ofyesterday's heavier handheld power tools have been converted intolighter machines which appears to have reduced demand for safetyharnesses. Heavier lawn mowing vehicles with seat belts have also beenreplaced by lightweight floating mowers to generally prevent compactionof turf and soil. However, soil will compact naturally which can forcelightweight lawn equipment with floating booms or decks to oscillatesignificantly during transport making it wise to periodically check toolframes with high frequency drive systems for bends and cracks. This iswhy a shoulder harness can come in handy to prevent strain to tools andtheir groundskeepers.

There are known lawn care safety harnesses that consist of either a loopor a span support for a string trimmer. The harness loop of U.S. Pat.No. 5,319,806 provides the string trimmer with more maneuverability.U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,636 provides an elastic harness loop to absorb someof the vibration from lightweight lawn tools. The longitudinal spansupports of U.S. Pat. No. 6,250,525 B1, U.S. Pat. No. 7,111,404 B2 andU.S. Pat. No. 4,535,498 will help a towering subject gain an upper handwhen having to be subjected to long grueling work. Generally speaking,the harness span structures described in '525, '404 and '498 will dampenvibration of lightweight elongated beams during static and dynamic loadfunctions. Furthermore, one or more cable spans fixed to pillars willprovide stability to decks and beams during transport and windyconditions which is pretty common during lawn care. Accordingly, moststring trimmers with a boom can be better stabilized by augmenting ashoulder harness loop pattern of '636 into a longitudinal span length,as somewhat illustrated in '404, which helps to control lateral toolkick back as well as dampen a string trimmer from high resistance.

A shoulder harness span that forms an apex in support of an operablestring trimmer should further draw a towering figure away from a cuttingtool without adding more stress to an operator. This is definitely notthe case with most electric handheld lawn trimmers that place a heavyload near the tool end which tends to shorten the boom. However, makingit challenging to retract or expand a shoulder harness as described in'806 and '404 will limit the number of lawn care options which maydiscourage its primary use and could possibly increase operator stress.

There appears to be an advantage of expanding the prior art from amaneuvering loop harness into an adjustable span harness with bettertool stabilizing capability which is the main goal of this patentapplication.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the invention is to provide an auxiliary harnessto assist an operator with support of a string trimmer.

Another object of the invention is to provide the harness withsymmetrical right or left handed use.

Another object of the invention is to provide the harness with a loopembodiment for greater maneuverability of the string trimmer.

A further object of the invention is to provide the harness with alongitudinal span to help reduce the string trimmer resonance feedbackand lateral kickback.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide the harness withadjustable lengths to keep an operator's torso relatively straight withrespect to the string trimmer operation.

Still yet another object of the invention is to provide the harness withan auxiliary retractable carrying case.

Another object of the invention is to provide the carrying case with ahandle grip for making safe and efficient height adjustments to thestring trimmer.

Another object of the invention is to provide the harness with more thanone longitudinal span adjustment without having to remove the harnessfrom a body.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide the operator relief ofone or more trigger fingers, one or more vertebral discs and otherjoints with an improved longitudinal span.

Still yet another object of the invention is to provide the operatorwith more comfort during rough weather.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with theaccompanying two drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example,an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, there isdisclosed an auxiliary loop and span harness for a string trimmercomprising: a string trimmer or the like having an elongated boom, theboom transfers power from a motor to a cutting tool, the boom havingmeans for a safety shield to connect near the tool, the tool havingmeans to be directed by a plurality of handlebar configurations whichare held substantially near the string trimmer fixed point, the harnesshaving means to be worn over an operator's right or left shoulder, theharness base having means to suspend the string trimmer at or near afixed point central to the operator's torso, the harness having meansfor a carrying case, the carrying case having a quick release button,the quick release button having means to immediately release the harnessfrom the string trimmer, the carrying case having an on-off lock; theon-off lock having means to release or fix a retractable cable, strap orthe like from a spring loaded spool within the carrying case, thecarrying case further having a lower base and a top clip, the carryingcase base connected to a frontal or a middle harness clip at a lower endand connected from an upper end to the frontal, the middle, the top or arearward harness chip, the harness clips having means to be positionedon the boom a safe distance away from the tool, the cable having meansto separate and return to the carrying case to form the harness loop,the cable having means to separate from the carrying case to form theharness longitudinal span, the cable having means to be stored in atight position, the cable having means to support a symmetrical shoulderpad or the like, the cable made of firm or elastic material anddifferent sizes, the longitudinal span having means to dampen lateralkickback from the tool to the operator, the longitudinal span havingmeans to dampen resonance from the string trimmer to the operator, thelongitudinal span having means to relax one or more trigger fingers, theon-off lock having means to adjust the cable length without having toremove the harness from a right or left shoulder, the on-off lock havingmeans to adjust the boom angle slightly without having to remove theharness, the harness longitudinal span having means to dampen transport,the harness having means to significantly stabilize the string trimmerwith the longitudinal span, the harness having means to significantlymaneuver the string trimmer with the loop embodiment and the harnesshaving means to relieve operator fatigue and stress.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings constitute a part of this specification and includeexemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in variousforms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects ofthe invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate anunderstanding of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the auxiliary harness illustrating aloop embodiment for supporting a string trimmer.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of FIG. 1 illustrating a span embodimentfor supporting the string trimmer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Detailed descriptions of the preferred embodiment are provided herein.It is to be understood, however, that the present invention may beembodied in various forms. Therefore, specific details disclosed hereinare not to be interpreted as limiting, but rather as a basis for theclaims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the artto employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailedsystem, structure or manner.

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, An auxiliary harness 20 is connected toa string trimmer 10 which consists of an elongated boom 30 thattransfers inward power from a motor 40 to a cutting tool 50 at aboutground level. The string trimmer 10 will have a safety shield 60 thatmounts to the boom 30 near the tool 50 to protect a rearward operatorand bystanders from outer tool 50 forces. The tool 50 is directed andcontrolled by right 72 and left 74 control grips, that is, with aplurality of handlebar 70 configurations that connect to the boom 30.The handlebar 70 and the harness 20 are generally held centrallybalanced at the string trimmer 10 and operator's fixed points.

Referring again to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the harness 20 is capable of beingmostly stored inside a handy carrying case 84, but one embodiment of theloop 12 and span 14 harness 20 could be to replace the carrying case 84with a common strap adjuster (not shown.) The carrying case 84 attachesto either a frontal 92 or middle 94 harness clip on the boom 30 which issubstantially balanced above the string trimmer 10 fixed point.

A release button 86 or the like is located at the base of the carryingcase 84 for the operator to immediately disengage the harness 20 fromthe string trimmer 10 for safekeeping. An on-off lock 88 is switchedback and forth along the side of the carrying case 84 to expand, retractor fix a cable 82, strap, combination thereof or the like into a loop 12harness 20 embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1 or a longitudinalspan 14 harness 20 alternative embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2. Theharness 20 cable 82 can be made of firm or elastic material and willcouple to an auxiliary symmetrical shoulder pad (not shown) and othercables or attachments known in the art.

Still referring further to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in order to employ theloop 12 and span 14 harness 20, the string trimmer 10 is rested on theground with the motor 40 made operable so that the cable 82 can bepulled from the carrying case 84 and extended out to either a rearwardharness clip 96 position to form a downward parabola span 14 or a topclip 98 position on the carrying case 84 to form a vertical loop 12.Once the cable 82 is ready to be worn, the operator can lift the harness20 off the ground and strap it over an opposite right 16 or left 18shoulder a safe distance away from the tool 50 without interference fromthe handlebar 70 right 72 and left 74 hand grips according to soundengineering judgment. Prior to lawn care operation, the harness 20should be given fine tune adjustments to align and balance the stringtrimmer 10. Accordingly, these minor adjustments can help optimize thetool 50 and boom 30 angles without having to remove the harness 20 fromthe operator because the carrying case 84 can be held up and adjustedfrom a secondary right 72 or left 74 handed grip position. Lawn caretransport and work is ready to commence once the cable 82 is locked in adesired ergonomic position. It is recommended to periodicallyinterchange right 16 and left 18 shoulder harness 20 positions after thestring trimmer 10 repeatedly meets high resistance. A good rule of thumbis to switch the loop 12 and span 14 harness 20 positions half waythrough the string trimmer 10 cycle which is determined in most operatormanuals. This method or process will distribute the string trimmer 10resonance more evenly which can add up to more lawn care fulfillment.When lawn care has been completed, the motor 40 must be turned off sothat the harness 20 can be removed from the operator's right 16 or left18 shoulder in order to rest the inoperable string trimmer 10 on theground while the operator is able to hold the cable 82 up beforeactivating the on-off lock 88 to slowly retract the cable 82 back intothe carrying case 84 which avoids harness 20 whiplash. It is importantto note that the on-off lock 88 reminds workers to change their triggerfinger 78 positions periodically to reduce fatigue when performingseveral different lawn care exercises. The string trimmer 10 warm-up andcool-down steps should help operators stretch their muscles andligaments before and after work.

Now referring only to FIG. 1, the harness 20 loop 12 embodiment of theinvention must have the carrying case 84 base connected to the middleharness clip 94 on the boom 30 followed by the cable 82 extending overthe operator's left 16 or right 18 shoulder and back down to a top clip98 of the carrying case 84 for quick tool 50 maneuverability and toimprove string trimmer 10 load balance. This process is quick formultiple lawn care exercises, but the loop 12 harness 20 will pivot morethan a span harness which could lead to more lawn scalping andadditional absorption of string trimmer 10 resonance.

Referring to FIG. 2, the harness 20 longitudinal span 14 embodiment ofthe invention facilitates the cable 82 as an elongated stabilizer forthe string trimmer 10. The harness 10 carrying case 84 base is connectedto the frontal 92 or middle 94 harness clip on the boom 30 followed bythe cable 82 being drawn up and around the operator's opposite right 16or left 18 shoulder and spanned longitudinally to the rearward harnessclip 96 at the top end of the motor 40 while keeping a safe distanceaway from elbow movement during the string trimmer 10 operation. Theon-off lock 88 of the span 14 harness can be implemented to quickly putthe harness 20 longitudinal span 14 in step with a desired operatingheight or boom 30 angle to gradually trim down vegetation without havingtall brush get pulled around the tool 50 which is more difficult tocontrol with a loop harness. Indeed, the harness 20 span 14 embodimentwill pivot from a right 16 or left 18 shoulder, but with lessmaneuverability and more stability than what is commonly found with loopharnesses. Accordingly, the operator is encouraged to maintain a singleorthogonal fold trimming framework without flipping the string trimmer10 into dangerous or awkward contortions. The rearward harness clip 96provides maximum means for the cable 82 to dampen lateral kickback 52,as well as help control longitudinal 54 and vertical 60 tool 50resonance when the tool 50 meets high resistance. Assuming that thestring trimmer 10 is resting on a grounds surface with the cable 82locked in a fully open position, the operator can hand release therearward harness clip 96 and reel the harness 20 distal end into thecarrying case 84 until the cable 82 can be coupled to either one of thefrontal 92 or middle 94 harness clips for quick storage. Moreover, thestring trimmer 10 can be easily stored without having the harness 20flapping around or fall to the ground.

Still referring to FIG. 2 and briefly to FIG. 1, the harness 20longitudinal span 14 is able to relax one or more right 72 or left 72grips; particularly the right 76 and left 78 trigger finger pressurepoints. In fact, the rearward harness clip 96 location permits anoperator to use their arm as a lever on the motor 40 cowling 42 duringtransport of the string trimmer 10 to relieve the left 78 triggerfingers and grip 74. Moreover, the span 14 harness 20 can be alternatedhalf the time to exercise the right 76 fingers and grip 72 evenly withthe left fingers 78 and grip 74. It is advised not to significantly bendarm and body joints or use an arm as a lever on the motor 40 cowling 42during the string trimmer 10 operation because this could lead to morefatigue of the right 72 and left 74 trigger fingers. The left triggerfingers 78 shown resting in FIG. 2 are already subjected to aboutfourteen percent more stress during normal lawn care operation shown inFIG. 1 which is why an arm should only be used as a lever on the motor40 cowling 42 to reduce stress to the left 78 fingers and grip 74 whenin transport and for aiding with harness 20 and tool 50 adjustments. Theharness 20 span 14 will significantly distribute the operator'stransport movement and tool resonance because of the significantlongitudinal length of the harness 20.

While the invention has been described in connection with a preferredembodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention tothe particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended tocover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may beincluded within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by theappended claims.

1. An auxiliary loop and longitudinal span harness for a string trimmercomprising: a string trimmer or the like having an elongated boom; theboom transfers power from a motor to a cutting tool; the boom havingmeans for a safety shield to connect near the tool; the tool havingmeans to be directed by a plurality of handlebar configurations whichare held substantially near the string trimmer fixed point; the harnesshaving means to be worn over an operator's right or left shoulder; theharness base having means to suspend the string trimmer at or near afixed point central to the operator's torso; the harness having meansfor a carrying case; the carrying case having a quick release button;the quick release button having means to immediately release the harnessfrom the string trimmer; the carrying case having an on-off lock; theon-off lock having means to release or fix a retractable cable, strap orthe like from a spring loaded spool within the carrying case; thecarrying case further having a lower base and a top clip; the carryingcase base connected to a frontal or a middle harness clip at a lower endand connected from an upper end to the frontal, the middle, the top or arearward harness chip; the harness clips having means to be positionedon the boom a safe distance away from the tool; the cable having meansto separate and return to the carrying case to form the harness loop;the cable having means to separate from the carrying case to form theharness longitudinal span; the cable having means to be stored in atight position; the cable having means to support a symmetrical shoulderpad or the like; the cable made of firm or elastic material anddifferent sizes; the longitudinal span having means to dampen lateralkickback from the tool to the operator; the longitudinal span havingmeans to dampen resonance from the string trimmer to the operator; thelongitudinal span having means to relax one or more trigger fingers; theon-off lock having means to adjust the cable length without having toremove the harness from a right or left shoulder; the on-off lock havingmeans to adjust the boom angle slightly without having to remove theharness; the harness longitudinal span having means to dampen transport;the harness having means to significantly stabilize the string trimmerwith the longitudinal span; the harness having means to significantlymaneuver the string trimmer with the loop embodiment; the harness havingmeans to relieve operator fatigue and stress.